Glossary

Bicolour cat

A cat whose coat combines white with one other colour, in patches of varying size, from a few spots to mostly white.

Also called: bicolor cat, bi-colour, bi-color, piebald cat, parti-colour

A bicolour cat has white fur combined with one other colour, such as black, orange, blue, cream, or a tabby pattern. The white comes from a spotting gene that stops pigment from reaching some areas of skin as the kitten develops in the womb. The result is patches of white, which can be small or large and can follow a regular or irregular layout.

Show registries often grade how much white a cat has, and each sets its own limits. A van pattern cat is mostly white, with colour only on the head and tail, and a harlequin sits between a typical bicolour and a van. A cat with three colours, such as black, orange and white, is a calico or a patched tabby with white, and is classed separately.

The tuxedo cat is the best-known bicolour. White patches can be linked to a few health issues in some situations, such as deafness in white cats with blue eyes, but a bicolour with a small amount of white is not at greater risk. Bicolour is a pattern, not a breed, and it appears in many breeds and in mixed-breed cats.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

Tuxedo cat A black cat with a white chest, belly and paws, so named for resembling a formal suit, found in many breeds and in mixed-breed cats. Van pattern A coat that is almost entirely white, with colour limited to the head and tail and sometimes a few small spots on the body. Calico A cat with large patches of white, black and orange, a coat pattern that occurs almost only in females. Tabby A coat pattern of stripes, swirls or spots with a dark M-shaped mark on the forehead, found in many breeds and in mixed-breed cats. Tortoiseshell A coat of mixed black and orange, or their diluted forms, in patches or brindled swirls, almost always seen in female cats.